Marc Garneau, the first Canadian in space, lost his bid yesterday [Jan. 23, 2006] to win a seat in the House of Commons.

Garneau, the Liberal candidate in the riding of Vaudreuil-Soulanges, west of Montreal, lost to incumbent Bloc Québécois candidate Meili Faille. Garneau finished second in the five-person race, well behind Faille. Garneau's loss echoed that experienced by Liberals as a whole, who were pushed out of power nationally by the Conservatives.

As for Garneau? The former head of the Canadian Space Agency is looking for work. "I essentially had to quit my job at the Canadian Space Agency," he told the CBC (via the Globe and Mail) "To put it bluntly, I'm unemployed right now and will be looking for a job obviously because I still have a young family."

Moonwalker1954

Marc Garneau is a good guy but he was in the wrong party. After 13 years of Liberal government, Canadians were ready for a change and that's what happened though it will be a minority government.

I wish Mr. Garneau could come back as head of the CSA. I think he did a good job.

Blackarrow

Left his job to stand for election (unsuccessfully)? A classic case of falling between two stools. Ouch! He must feel like "The Man Who Fell to Earth."

Rodina

I don't know diddly about Canadian politics, but I note that Marc Garneau is again standing for election to the Canadian parliament, this time in a by-election for a Montreal riding ("constituency" for our British friends, "district" for we Americans.)

Robert Pearlman

According to Space Politics, Garneau's chances may be better this time:

Unlike his last campaign, Garneau enjoys a high degree of support in the riding, according to an article in a local paper; he also has the advantage of succeeding another Liberal MP, Lucienne Robillard, whose retirement in January created the vacancy Garneau is trying to fill.

music_space

Yeah... I don't live too far from the downtown-Montreal riding Garneau is riding in.

I noticed that the four-by-four Coroplast panels used for his outdoors campaign publicity have been affixed to street poles at a lower level than usual. That'll allow me to "collect" a few dozen of them after the election.

I might keep one for historical reasons, but I routinely use second-hand corrugated plastic sheets for a variety of handicraft jobs, and I donate the rest to daycare centers.

Marc Garneau has been reelected by a very slim majority in his riding of Westmount-Ville-Marie, which covers the western part of Montreal's downtown, while the Liberal Party of Canada which he represents, one of the founding political forces of this country, has suffered its worst defeat in history, being relegated to the status of a third party behind the winning, right-wing Conservative Party and the left-wing New Democratic Party.

The returning Conservative Party won its first parliamentary majority since it assumed power in 2006. This government has generally shown little concern for science and technology; Gary Goodyear, the current Minister of State for Science and Technology, has cut funding to researchers through the years.

Robert Pearlman

Marc Garneau, Liberal Member of Parliament for Westmount-Ville-Marie, has announced he will run for the leadership of the federal Liberal Party of Canada, a position that would put him in line to become prime minister should the party regain control of the House of Commons in a future election.

I have decided to enter the Liberal leadership race to become the party's next leader and Canada's Prime Minister.

...Yes, I was an astronaut.

But I don't want to be defined by what I did up there, but rather who I am.

I am proud to have had the singular honor of being Canada's first astronaut.

But I am more than that...

I am the son of the son of a military man who stood up to tyranny...

An engineer who understands that what turns science into magic is innovation...

An executive who has run a major organization renowned around the world, and...

An educator and a teacher who has led an innovative and growing university.

I am a leader.

Robert Pearlman

Marc Garneau today (March 13, 2013) announced he is withdrawing his candidacy for leader of the Liberal Party of Canada.

"I am extremely proud of what I have accomplished in this race. I have made my message clear - the party must be clear on where it stands and where it wants to lead. There is a significant portion of Liberal party members and supporters that supported my message."